Weekend Workshops in Cuban Popular Dances

Jun 20 2009
Jun 21 2009

Where: Saturday and Sunday, June 20 and 21
Where: The ArtFare, 55 N. 6th Ave. (downtown)
Price: $12 or one, $20 for two, each day

Please send an email to garmendariz@gmail.com to pre-register.

Saturday Class I: Afro-Cuban Rumba (1:00 pm to 2:30 pm)
Introduces the different forms of Rumba, with emphasis on the techniques, steps and gestures of Guagaunco.  You will see how its' movements influence contemporary Salsa, enhancing musicality and improvisation.  Class begins with a short warm-up, working on isolations for whole body expressiveness.  You will learn how to groove to the basic pulse of faster rhythms and playfully respond to a partner in the flirtatious game that mimics movements of a chicken and rooster.

Saturday Class II: Cuban Son (2:30pm to 4:00pm)
Cuban son is the single most important influence in contemporary Salsa, and a beautiful dance in its' own right.  Typically danced "against the beat" ("on 2") we will focus on basisc steps using a grounded technique that makes it easy to mark the beat of the clave and provide balance for the sensuous and synchronous movement of hips, torso, shoulders and arms.  Come experience the magestic feeling of "dancing inside the music" and express a more intimate connection with your partner.  Sabrosa!

Sunday Class 1: Cha-Cha-Cha (12:30 pm to 2:00 pm)

Often Salsa dancers shy away from Cha-Cha-Cha finding it challenging.  But it shouldn't be!  A bit slower, but with a lilting swing, its cha-cha-cha steps flow directly out of Son.  Building on the grounded technique used in Son, we'll add some basic steps and simple turn patterns used in Cha-Cha-Cha, as well as Casino.  Come experience the sweet, yet hot, sounds of this music and develop a new ease in all your Latin dancing.

Sunday Class II: Casino Style (Modern Cuban Salsa) (2:00 pm to 3:30 pm)
Modern Cuban Style is popularly expressed in the group dance, Casino Rueda. It's characterized by a variety of playful and intricate turn patterns within a circular space. In this class you will see how the vast array of casino moves can be reduced to about seven basic patterns. We will develop four of these basic patterns into a simple choreography, enhancing your feel for casino style but also raising your awareness of how these moves already exist, and can be creatively used, in your regular salsa practice.

A Note About Teaching Method:
Each class will be taught to all levels of experience. However, a fluency in basic salsa is highly recommended. The technique of basic movement will be taught from "the inside-out," repeating the movement sufficiently to embody the feel of the movement, adding complexity incrementally for easier learning and to provide material for more advanced dancers. Classes will move fairly quickly through material with ample opportunity to dance to, and enjoy, the music.

About The Teacher:
Steve Friedman has been dancing Salsa for about 30 years. He began teaching Salsa in the SF Bay Area in 1992. He did graduate work in Dance Studies at UCLA (in the Department of World Arts and Cultures) from 1998-2001. His thesis is on The Rise of LA Style Salsa and the Theatrical Globalization of Salsa Dance. He has studied with numerous master teachers in a variety of regional styles over many years. He has taught in major clubs, cultural centers and dance studios in the Bay Area, and in the Dance Department at UCLA.

Comments

Steve

Hey I remember Steve. I used to see him in the LA Salsa scene all the time.

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